When Short Term Health Insurance Can Help You
Short Term Health Insurance

Short term health insurance is not much when compared to regular individual coverage, but there will be times when you may need short term health insurance.

Why Short Term Insurance?

Short term health insurance was created so that an individual could be covered during a brief time gap in between regular insurance plans. It was never meant to take the place of traditional insurance; hence, it will never offer the same advantages. But let's say that a person is waited to be enrolled in an individual health insurance policy, but there's a short waiting period. What is he or she to do in the meantime? Simply go uninsured and risk all their money and assets? Also, an individual may change jobs and may leave a group policy, expecting to eventually sign up with an individual coverage plan. Until he and the insurance company can commit to an agreement however, he still wants insure him in the event of an emergency or illness. Some individuals who go on strike or are recent graduates also find short term health insurance convenient for their budget and plans.

What It Does And Does Not Cover

Short term health insurance can cover time periods anywhere from one month to an entire year. These policies are not meant to replace regular insurance, therefore they are usually non-renewable. Extending coverage would mean re-applying all over again.

The typical short term health insurance policy covers much of the same major medical expenses as does a traditional health plan—but with some notable exceptions. Most of these plans are fee-for-service plans; so any preventative care (like check ups or shots) will not be covered. Vision and dental care are also not likely to be covered. Pre-existing conditions will most likely not be covered, even by a higher priced policy. For these reasons, many people choose individual insurance policies over short term—even if they are going by a time frame.

The good news is that short term health insurance is affordable and can be extended to include your spouse and dependent. Look into short term health insurance and make sure you never go into battle without a helmet.